Bone Yard
by TwinEnigma
Summary: To wield the Goraishi, one must prove themselves to the Guardian, a fact Kakashi now knows. One shot, no pairings, sequel to Progenitor


**Bone Yard  
**

_By TwinEnigma_

_Characters_: Kakashi Hatake, Team Eight, Kouga

_Warnings_: Crossover, AU; Continuation of one-shot "Progenitor"

_Blanket Disclaimer: I do not own either the Naruto or Inuyasha series, nor do I profit from writing this._

* * *

Kakashi sped into the rocky valley, ignoring the tingling feeling of wrongness that seemed to seep through the air. On rocky outcroppings above him, the deformed and crumbling skeletons of his kinsmen sat in silent vigil over the valley. He would never have considered coming here to this sacred ground, were it not for the terrible danger his students and village were in.

These were truly desperate times, he noted mentally. Against gods and immortals, what could these mortal hands do?

Mortal hands - _human_ hands could do nothing, but perhaps the claws of a wolf could succeed where human hands could not.

And so Kakashi had followed his most faded memories and the scattered scents of wolves back to the distant mountains of his ancestors, in search of a fairy-tale treasure, something that could be used to at least give him a fighting chance against their enemy. He had entered a world of fanged smiles, shape-shifters and powerful supernatural creatures that he wouldn't have believed possible if it hadn't been for the proof etched into the very fiber of his being and the fleeting dream-memories of that place. He'd _begged_ their leader, his great-grandfather, for a chance to prove himself in the trial, despite his thin blood and clawless hands.

He was a wolf in his heart and he would die to protect his precious people in Konoha. This was his personal truth.

In a smile that was nothing but fangs and a strange sort of amusement, his great-grandfather granted him permission to take the trial and told him the path to the place where the artifact was hidden.

It led here, to the graveyard of wolves.

Something shimmered in the distance under a crumbling circular arch of stone – a mirror, framed in golden flames, with a golden claw-like artifact gleaming from under the mirror's surface. Kakashi slowed, his eyes narrowing in calculation. There was no way it was this simple.

The ground twisted and deformed, rocks jutting and melting as they congealed into a monster with three massive heads. Fire danced around its legs and traced along the lips of the three-headed beast. "You..." the heads hissed in tandem, "You may not proceed any further."

"To protect my precious people, I must," Kakashi said firmly. He took stock of the monstrous guardian, looking for a weakness, and frowned. Most of his jutsu would not be appropriate here. Instead, his hand drifted to the weapons pouch, where he'd brought his one special weapon for the occasion. "I take it that I need to defeat you in order to pass."

"You are correct," the beast answered, flames punctuating its words. "But you will fail."

"I cannot fail," Kakashi countered. He then charged forward, careening around the crushing paws and snapping fangs with dexterity he had long forgotten he was capable of as he tested the beast's defenses and speed.

"You are deluded, brat," the beast announced, its stone skin surging and shifting to attack him. "You are weak and you carry within you something that does not belong to this world."

Kakashi knew immediately that it was referring to his left eye and quickly did a handspring to escape the shifting rock. "I don't see the problem in honoring a friend's last wish."

"Your eye, there is a will in it that is not your own," the beast said flatly, turning its three heads to stare at him. The rocks around it shuddered, pushing up through the earth to form spears.

The jounin hesitated, his hand drifting to his concealed left eye. "Obito?" he murmured. Could it be possible that after all this time, his teammate had truly been by his side, watching over him?

Flames curled menacingly around the three-headed beast's fangs as it spoke again. "The Goraishi is also something that should not be in this world. The sleeping souls of the wolf tribe control it. You, brat, have almost nothing of the wolf in you. You are too human. This claw would destroy you."

Kakashi scowled, clenching his teeth under his mask as he leapt out of the way of a gushing column of fire. He knew there were risks, but he couldn't back down. People were depending on him – those kids were depending on him!

"Kakashi-senshi!"

Three familiar voices shot through the valley and he nearly strained his neck as he whipped around to see the members of Team Eight. He mentally cursed – he should have known! Kids were too curious for their own good these days and, with Asuma dead and Kurenai on maternity leave, he was the only jounin sensei they really knew.

"More intruders!" the beast howled, turning. Spears shot from the ground, sending the three teenagers scattering to get out of the way.

"Turning your back on me was unwise," Kakashi said, moving quickly. The time for games was over. He drew his secret weapon from his pouch and launched forward, channeling the wild white chakra that was his gift for the first time in years. His father's sword may have been shattered all those years ago, but as soon as the white chakra touched it, the broken fragment came vividly back to life in his hands, eager to shed enemy blood once more.

The guardian beast howled as it split in half, the white chakra crashing through it what should have been its spine.

"Team Eight on me!" Kakashi ordered, leaping back and preparing for a second attack. Immediately, the three teens and nin dog responded, rushing to his position and taking up a defensive formation beside him.

"Kakashi-sensei, what's the target?" Kiba asked, grinning widely.

Hinata formed a hand seal and the veins around her eyes bulged. "Everyone, look out! It's reforming!"

"We're ready," Shino said, raising his hands.

Kakashi scowled under his mask. This wasn't their fight. These kids – damn it, they were good but they had no idea what they were really up against here. They'd been lucky to have made it here so far, but they wouldn't stand a chance against the guardian beast if they dared to take it head on. Stupid, idiotic, _brave_ children!

He growled, drawing up his right hand. They left him no choice – he'd have to end this in one hit. And, to save their lives, he'd put everything into this one shot. It'd leave him wide open, but if it worked...

The beast stood slowly, stones shifting and sliding until it was once more whole, and then it turned to face them. The three heads each seemed to freeze as columns of fire poured from their jaws.

"Your fight is with me!" Kakashi roared, leaping forward and swinging his right arm down in a raking strike. Something heavy settled on his right hand and then white chakra and lightning crackled to life around his hand with an intensity he'd never felt before, consuming the flames in their blinding force and slicing through the beast beyond.

The guardian wailed once and stilled, its rocky form collapsing.

It did not reform.

"Kakashi-sensei," Hinata gasped, "Your hand!"

The jounin looked down, raising his right hand and was immediately taken aback in surprise. His glove had burned away completely and, in its place, the strange golden claw-like artifact he'd seen inside the mirror had appeared. He looked at it in bewilderment as it sunk slowly into his hand, its power threading into his chakra with strange ease, and then back to the three flabbergasted teens. "This is..."

Suddenly, the sound of slow clapping came from one of the many rock ledges above them. The four ninja and the nin-dog instinctively moved into a defensive formation as they looked up at the source of the noise.

An old man with rheumy blue eyes and swathed in a fur cloak sat on the ledge, his lips twisted into a fanged smile as he slowly applauded with gnarled hands tipped in sharp claws. "Well done, little Hatake, well done," he called out. "I knew you had it in you. Truly, you are my descendant."

Kakashi stared a moment, recognizing the voice and scent. Then, he pulled down his mask, smiling genuinely, and bowed in respect. "Thank you, great-grandfather."

"Don't thank me, young pup," the old man responded gruffly, clawed hands digging into the rock. "It was purely your doing. Only a wolf with the right heart could have hoped to succeed."

The old man paused a moment and then gave them a smile that was all fangs. "The Goraishi have become your claws, little Hatake, and the spirits of your ancestors will watch over you. Pray that you honor them well in defense of your people."

"I will," Kakashi replied honestly and raised his mask. "Team Eight, we're moving out."

As if a switch had been flipped, the three teens and the nin dog snapped into action, swiftly moving into an easily-defensible travel formation, and started down the path leading out of the graveyard.

It would be a long journey back to Konoha, a journey filled with more questions than answers, but it was worth it, Kakashi decided. He clenched his fist, feeling the weight of the Goraishi inside his chakra.

He was a wolf, a descendant of the great and noble Yourouzoku tribe, and no matter if it was gods or demons that threatened them, he would use these claws to protect his precious people. As long as he still drew breath, he would keep fighting – that was his way of ninja.

After all, those who abandoned their friends were worse than trash and Kakashi Hatake, jounin of Konoha, would never abandon his friends.

* * *

AN: The test is that someone must put the lives of those under their care before their own safety and desires to obtain the Goraishi. Interestingly, one of Kakashi's lightning attacks in chapter 421 has a very canine shape...

Originally appeared as the 18th chapter of my Variables fanfic. I decided it was better off separate.


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